Mittel Auction House

Whoosh!

Half an hour later, Liu Ling leaped out of the bath barrel and looked toward Gu He in the pavilion.

"Teacher, I held on for half an hour."

Hearing this, Gu He slowly set down his teacup and nodded at Liu Ling.

"Mm, not bad. Keep it up. Continue tomorrow."

"..."

Liu Ling's mouth twitched slightly, but he ultimately conceded. "Yes, Teacher."

"Apply some Iceheart Salve after you return. It'll help you recover faster." Seeing the slight redness and swelling on Liu Ling's body, Gu He reminded him.

"Alright, Teacher." Liu Ling nodded, then slowly left the courtyard.

Two days later.

Early in the morning, Gu He left the Misty Cloud Sect and arrived in the imperial capital.

He had received word long ago that today was the day Mittel Auction House would hold its auction.

Standing at the end of a bustling street, Gu He looked up at the enormous auction house before him and could not help letting out a sigh of amazement.

Although his former self had visited Mittel Auction House before, this was Gu He's first time seeing such a massive auction house since arriving in this world. He could not help but feel somewhat astonished.

At the entrance of Mittel Auction House, more than a dozen stern-faced men in fitted black clothing stood with sharp weapons at their waists. Their eagle-sharp gazes constantly swept over the crowds entering and leaving.

Judging by the faint auras emanating from them, three of these men were actually Dou Masters, while the rest possessed the strength of Dou Zhes.

Deploying Dou Masters to guard the entrance—the Mittel Family truly deserved its place among the Jia Ma Empire's three great clans. Their strength was indeed formidable.

Gu He was currently dressed in a large white robe that completely concealed his face, so he was not worried about being recognized.

It was not that Gu He feared being recognized; he simply did not want to invite unnecessary trouble.

Following the flow of people, Gu He slowly entered the auction house. The vast space inside left him momentarily dazed once more, but he quickly recovered and headed toward the center of the hall.

Inside the auction house, enormous screens hung all around, displaying countless items up for auction. Gu He gave them a cursory glance but found nothing particularly rare. Presumably, the truly extraordinary items were being kept hidden as the auction's grand finales to preserve an air of mystery.

Of course, certain powerful factions could naturally learn about those final treasures through other channels.

I should have told Liu Ling to come and inquire about it beforehand, Gu He thought to himself.

With Gu He's reputation as the Dan Emperor, if he sent a disciple to ask about this auction, the Mittel Family would certainly give him face.

His gaze swept across the surroundings before finally settling on the entrance to an appraisal room. Gu He hesitated briefly, then slowly walked inside.

The moment he stepped into the so-called appraisal room, Gu He was somewhat surprised to discover that the fairly spacious chamber had been neatly divided into over a hundred small private rooms. These were likely measures intended to prevent treasures from being exposed.

As soon as Gu He entered the appraisal room, a scantily clad maid approached him. Her coquettish voice carried a seductive charm. "Sir, are you here to have an item appraised? Or to have it evaluated for auction?"

"The latter," Gu He replied flatly.

"Please follow me." The maid gave a charming smile before turning and leading the way.

After following the maid for several dozen meters, she stopped before a small private room. She respectfully bowed to Gu He and smiled. "Sir, simply hand the item you wish to auction to the master inside for evaluation and review. Depending on the rarity of your item, you will receive a corresponding level of seating at the auction."

Gu He nodded slightly and gently pushed open the black wooden door. He walked inside and casually closed the door behind him.

The small private room was brightly lit. An elderly man with slightly graying hair swept a sharp gaze over Gu He. However, since the latter was almost entirely concealed beneath his robe, the old man could not make out anything.

"Please sit."

Casually pointing at a chair before the table, the old man finished arranging several tools for examining auction items. Without raising his head, he said indifferently, "Take out the item you wish to auction."

Gu He remained silent. With a flick of his hand, a small jade bottle appeared on the table.

"A pill?"

Hearing the jade bottle strike the tabletop, the old man paused slightly. He raised his head, his gaze landing on the bottle as a trace of surprise flashed through his eyes. Pulling on thin transparent gloves, he carefully picked up the jade bottle and poured out the pill inside.

As a yellow pill fell into the old man's palm, an incomparably rich medicinal fragrance instantly spread through the room.

"Eh!"

Smelling the unusual fragrance, the old man's expression changed slightly. Then, when his gaze fell upon the profound pill patterns on its surface, a solemn look appeared on his aged face.

"May I ask, sir, what kind of pill is this?"

After examining it for a long while, a puzzled expression appeared on the old man's face, and he could not help asking Gu He.

"This is a Sixth-grade Dou Ling Pill."

Gu He glanced at the old man, his tone calm.

"What?"

Upon hearing Gu He's words, shock appeared on the old man's aged face. He then asked in disbelief, "Th-this is a Sixth-Grade Pill, the Dou Ling Pill?"

Gu He glanced at the old man indifferently and said casually, "You should go call the highest-ranking person currently present at Mittel Auction House."

The old man was slightly stunned, then nodded to Gu He. "Then please wait a moment, my lord. I'll invite the Supervising Elder at once."

After Gu He waited quietly for the time it took to drink a cup of tea, an elderly man pushed open the door and entered.

"Greetings, sir. I am the person in charge of Mittel Auction House, Mite'er Tushan."

The old man introduced himself as soon as he entered.

"I am Gu He," Gu He replied calmly.

In the entire Jia Ma Empire, he, Gu He, was likely the only one capable of producing a Sixth-Grade Pill.

Therefore, once Gu He intended to auction this Dou Ling Pill, his identity could no longer remain hidden.

"As expected, it is Lord Dan Emperor."

Seeing Gu He reveal his identity, a smile appeared at the corner of Mite'er Tushan's mouth.

Clearly, he had already guessed Gu He's identity.

After all, aside from a Sixth-Grade Alchemist, no one else could produce a Sixth-Grade Pill.

"Sir, I only wish to participate quietly in this auction," Gu He said slowly as he looked at Mite'er Tushan.

Mite'er Tushan was taken aback, then gave an understanding smile. "I understand. Before the auction begins, news of Lord Dan Emperor's visit will absolutely not be leaked."

As for after the auction began, once a Sixth-Grade Pill appeared, even a fool would know that Dan Emperor Gu He had come.